When Trouble walked in
by AliceRulesMyWorld
Summary: When the Salvatores move to town they catch the attention of Elena and gang. As she grows closer she'll learn that Damon always gets suspended for his own reasons-and she'll learn what that reason is. When Trouble walked in, he brought more with him. I AM rating this T, because there are only one or two graphic scenes, and you'll be able to skip them but there's a lot of language.
1. Chapter 1

**EPOV**

Elena stopped in her tracks. An incredibly handsome boy stepped out the passenger side of a Camaro, an even handsomer one stepped out the driver's side. They were laughing about something and then began pushing each other playfully. "Damon," She heard the younger one say, "try not to get into trouble here."

"Habit, kiddo. They die hard." She thought he had the sexiest smirk she'd ever seen.

"It's not funny, okay?!" The worry on his face was adorable.

"I'm sorry, brother." All traces of laughter left him. "I'll try, but I was serious. For the last 10 years I've had no choice, and I should just up and stop on a dime? I'll do what I can, Stef." He mussed his brother's hair.

"Watch the hair!" They began joking with each other again and Elena couldn't help but feel they were probably also best friends. She was sure of that but confused by what the elder had said. _No choice?_

She heard the bell ring and both boys walked past her, giving her an appreciative glance.

**DPOV**

"Boys!" Our mother yelled. "You'll be late for school!"

"Ah, relax mom. So what if we're a few minutes late?"

"Yeah," Stefan stepped in, "We're pretty smooth talkers. I foresee no troubles."

"Nor I." I added.

"I hate it when you two do that. Now, go to school."

We baited her because it made her feel a little bit better when she could tell us what to do. Maybe we could finally get truly free. "Think there'll be any hot girls?" Stefan asked. With different eyes, hair and attitudes the only thing similar about my brother and me is our taste in women. At least in appearance. Most people are about the blonds and the baby-blue eyes. Us guys? Not so much. Tall, tan, leggy brunettes with curves.

"There has to be at least one." We looked at each other quickly. "Dibs!" we shouted at the same time. "Whoever sees her first?" he offered.

"Not fair Mr. 20/20 vision."

"Whoever talks to her first?"

"I'm shy."

"Did you, Damon Salvatore, just refer to yourself as shy?"

"I did indeed. Besides I'm more attractive. Dashing, even."

"I will kick your ass."

"Dare ya little brother! Put 'em up!" We burst into laughter again and I put the car into park. We got out of the car and I froze, and felt Stefan tense across from me. A tall, tan, leggy brunette with curves was staring at us. We walked past her, and I know I was thinking about how much I would totally hit that. I raised my eyebrow at Stefan: Had he seen her?

He nodded back at me with a half smirk: Hell yeah, I saw her.

"You think we'll be safe here?"

"Course we will little brother."

"You said that before, you said we'd be fine and…"

"And you and mom _are_ fine, aren't you? I will always protect you, Stef. You know that."

"Who's protecting you? You and that awesome scar?"

"Preferably a really sexy chick bodyguard."

"You two." A voice boomed behind us.

We swiveled in our spots. "Sorry." Stefan said.

"You are late for class."

"We got lost. "

"The entire school is one hallway. All you had to do is read the signs."

"Come on, Damon. Let's get to class." Stefan muttered under his breath.

"I can't read. And you have kept us late sir. What will we tell our teachers?"

"Don't worry about that. I'll talk to them."

EPOV

The new kids were getting chewed already. The younger was trying to pull the other away so I took the opportunity to study them. The younger was the all-american kind of handsome. The blasé kind. The older brother was absolutely devastating. His dark hair and bright blue eyes were shocking and made him attractive as fuck. The leather jacket, five o clock shadow lining his strong jaw and that eye-fucking thing he _so_ did that morning made him trouble. But then I thought about the fiasco with Mason and decided I didn't have time for Trouble. I thought about what happened with Matt and decided I didn't have time for Trouble's kid brother, either. That is, until biology. "Damon, you'll sit right there." My breath caught. The seat he was being pointed to was right beside me. "Hello," he gave me a good once-over. "You are…"

"Elena," I supplied, "and you must be trouble." So maybe I was flirting a little bit.

"Well, Damon DOES mean demon in Italian."

"Do you speak Italian fluently? I heard it's one of the languages of love."

"It certainly helps with the ladies," he admitted slyly. "In fact my ex-girlfriend dated me only because I asked her out in Italian. Stef can't speak Italian, so it surprised me when she left me for him. He chose to learn German, for whatever reason."

"Wait. She broke up with you because she was crushing on him? How can you guys be so close then?" Their relationship was just so strong.

"He wasn't even interested in her. She dated someone else the day after he turned her down. To spite him probably." He added.

"She sounds awful." My nose crinkled in disgust.

"She was. I see that now."

"I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "I'm not. Quite frankly Stefan and I are closer for it."

"Why'd you move here?"

"Family stuff." The answer, while not said rudely, was very final. There was clearly no room for more questions about that.

His eyes mesmerized me again. They were so damn beautiful. His strong jaw gave him a very manly look, and the five o' clock shadow showed he could care less about it. It spoke volumes, too, that he already had a five o' clock shadow. It was only nine in the morning. But the thing that caught me most was those beautiful, beautiful eyes. "What do you think of little old Mystic Falls?" I finally asked, discreetly inhaling his smell of…Axe?

"I think it's perfect." He said it with no implications, no connotations, not even flirtatiously. He genuinely loved the place. To love a place this small, you had to be running from something big. I didn't want to know what it was but if I was going to be friends with Damon and his brother—and from Damon's personality and how close he was to his brother, I'd really like to be—I'd be finding out anyway.

"Sit with us at lunch." I blurted out, not considering what that gesture implied.

"It would be our pleasure, I'm certain." So he and his brother were a package deal. "We'll be there."

**DPOV**

The lunch bell rang and I couldn't wait to tell Stefan we had an invite with the hot girl from this morning. "Stef! Remember the girl from this morning? By invitation we are sitting with her."

"Man, I know I usually go for the brunettes, but I met a blonde this morning and fucking let me tell you what…"

"Bro, trust me. Elena isn't just sexy. She's nice."

"Rebekah is a challenge."

"To each their own," Damon said gleefully as they pretended to toast each other.

"No fucking way." Stefan's jaw dropped. "That's Rebekah," he said quickly as we approached the table. "May we?" He continued, his eyes on her.

"You are here by my invite," Elena inserted. "Sit."

"So," a different blonde stated, "You're the Salvatores."

"Yes and you're…"

"Taken, but my friends call me Care."

"Attitude, I like it. I'm Damon, by the way."

Stefan jumped in, unable to ignore the chance to taunt me a bit, "I'm the younger but slightly more handsome brother, Stefan."

"Dude, you jacked my line from the last school."

"I recycled it." Stefan corrected, a smile forming on his face. Rebekah giggled.

"Did I hand it to you?"

"No." The girls handled it as if watching a tennis match: back and forth, back and forth…

"Then it's not recycling, it's stealing. But shit, you delivered it better, so you can have it."

"How generous you are!"

"Yes," stated a girl who looked just like Elena, "How generous are you?"

"That _all_ depends on what you're really asking." Stefan slapped me on the arm and mouthed '_new start'. _"Generous enough to be a good boyfriend, to the right girl." My eyes flitted to Elena momentarily.

"That's my twin, Katherine."

"I'm older," Katherine mentioned.

"By a minute," Elena answered, barely turning, "how far apart are you two?"

"Seven hours. Stef had to be removed by c-section."

"You make me sound like I'm a problem."

"You're not." I said sternly. The rest of the table appeared at a loss for what to do. The situation had gotten awkward. It's just that it was our father's favorite: Stefan you're such a fucking problem. I had spent hours when he was younger convincing him it wasn't true. "Our mother had two miscarriages before us. We turned out fine, though. I was even cuter as a baby."

"When did that change?"

"No earlier than tomorrow," Katherine spoke again with a sultry voice. Elena rolled her eyes.

"Where did you guys move from?"

"Spearfish." I answered.

"The whole goddam place sucked." Stefan said. "Bumfuck nowhere only the people sucked, too."

"Damn straight they did." I finished.

"Well," Elena said, now struggling. "I got Damon's take. What do you think of Mystic Falls, Stefan?"

"I like it."

"You clearly haven't been here long enough." Stefan beamed, so I knew it was the girl he had his eye on.

Suddenly, the other blonde's face lit up. "Klaus. "

"Sorry I'm late love. Who are you people?"

"Tsk, tsk. Where _are_ your manners? I'm Damon, that's Stefan. Who the hell are you?" The tension became palpable and Stefan kicked me under the table.

"This is Klaus," Care's voice was perkier than necessary. "He's my boyfriend."

"Pleasure, I'm sure," Klaus said, sizing me up.

I responded smirking, "The pleasure's all mine." Stefan kicked me again. It was habit for me to rile up the person I thought could help me get to the principal's office, but he was obviously in love with Care-I knew the 'I was such a bad boy but now I'm in love with you so I'm being a better person' look- and if she became my friend he'd have no choice but do the same. Hopefully that would quell the urge to fight. Then I caught the eye of a letterman across the cafeteria and realized it probably wouldn't.

"The bell's about to ring," Care exclaimed, "what your next class?" She grabbed my schedule out of my hands. "Pottery! Mine and Klaus's, too."

"Listen, man." I said to Klaus. "I have a habit of…sizing up…any other alpha male that I might see. I'm trying to kick it but…"

"I egged you on to begin with. It's really not a problem."

"Sounds great."

"You'll want to stay away from Tyler Lockwood, then. And don't talk to Meredith Fell. He'll push for a fight."

"Thanks."

**EPOV**

"Kat! I told you I was interested." I protested to my sister after lunch.

"Right, and when I tested _his_ interest, it was clear he was interested in you, and not just for your looks either." She was clearly half-bored, checking her nails to make sure they were perfect.

"You think I have a shot?"

"Oh Jesus, Elena. I think you should get to know the guy, _then_ fall in love with him, date him through college and have a passel of brats with him. And then grow old together in Florida or some shit."

"Thanks," I was bewildered, "I think…"

"No problem." Except, I had a feeling it was a problem. It was hard not to be attracted to the guy with the stunning blue eyes and the leather jacket and I had a feeling that Katherine had been. It was probably that air of mystery; I know I experienced it.

I also knew she couldn't handle whatever mystery, or rather, whatever trouble, they had with them.


	2. Chapter 2

**So, I realize Damon and Stefan aren't like this in the show but based on one of the episodes they were when they were human, so since this is an all-human fic…**

**DPOV**

"Damon! Stefan!" These were the first things we heard getting home.

We looked at each other. "Yes, mom?" Stefan said sweetly.

"Did you two make your beds this morning?"

"Well…" Stef searched for an excuse, "we'd been discussing how we should, but then we were late and we wanted to make our best first impression." Before I was able to catch myself I let out a snort and he elbowed me. We _did_ make an impression…

"Yes. We'd been discussing how we should," I parroted.

"I don't believe you," our mother announced.

"No…" I stated, shaking my head. Stefan rubbed the back of his neck and followed with, "yeah…"

She merely sighed and that, more than any words, prompted us to make our beds.

"You know," I shouted across the hall. "In the 1860s they had maids to do this shit." A laugh from  
Stefan's room, and then from downstairs another voice shouted, "Language!"

Though chastised, it was nice to see she was telling us what to do, being a real parent and taking charge, like we had hoped she would. I pounded down the steps, so she wouldn't be surprised when I sat down. She still scared easily. She turned and smiled at me. "How was your day?"

"It was fantastic, actually. Stef and I met some really cool people."

Her eyebrows went up, "You actually made friends?"

"Well, I have no reason not to. I'm going to make a concerted effort to keep my nose clean." She hugged me and though I was temporarily stunned, I responded.

"I'm glad." She whispered, tightening the hug before letting go of me. I was, too. I despised getting into fights. Other than one person in the world, I didn't like punching anybody, but sometimes we have to do things we don't like.

So I did.

**EPOV**

I sat on the couch downstairs the next afternoon and sighed. I'd known the guy for one day-two_class periods!-_ when I'd been talking to Kat about marriage and children (brats just seemed so mean) and growing old with him. I was a freaking soap opera. I was…I was…so…well, I was a soap opera. Although, technically today had made four class periods.

Then again Rebekah was no better. She had her eye on Stefan already, too. I remembered she had even jumped to his defense earlier today, during study hall. We had purposely arranged to have the same study hall. Stefan and Damon were assigned that room by coincidence. I didn't want to bother them, as they seemed to be having an in depth conversation but Rebekah dragged me by the arm.

"_No, no, no." Stefan insisted. "Gibbs thinks of her as a daughter!"_

"_Little brother, the sexual tension could be cut with a knife. Watching it makes me wish I had a girlfriend or someone to call up or some damn thing."_

_I cleared my throat. Caught in the middle of discussing the love-lives of two characters on a television show, both were utterly aghast at our presence (not to mention Damon had just admitted to having no sex life). "Maybe it's just complicated," I shrugged and they both blushed crimson, forcing me to contain a laugh. _

"_Now, there's no need to tease Stefan, Elena!" Rebekah scolded._

_Desperate to change the subject somehow, Stefan blurted out, "The walls are a really nice color!"_

This time I couldn't hold back my laughter. I clamped my hands over my mouth in attempt to at least quiet, but gave up upon doubling over and running out of breath. "Elena! I said there's no need to tease him!"

Stefan hit his head against the desk. He and Damon seemed to confer for a moment. Damon stifled his own laugh.

Stefan hit his head on the desk a second time. Damon caved on it and let out a laugh, a laugh that came from way down in his stomach. It was not a hollow laugh like Matt's or a gruff bark like Klaus and Rebekah's kid brother's laugh was.

Kol. The kid had stalked Elena, even using Jeremy as an excuse to see her. When Jeremy learned he was a chess piece, he freaked the fuck out and broke Kol's nose. As far as Elena was concerned that was perfectly fine. Kol's siblings didn't take _his_ side. ("He had it coming." Rebekah had confided.) Shaking her head, she drew herself back to the moment and that perfect laugh.


	3. Chapter 3

**DPOV**

''The walls are a really nice color?" I raised my eyebrow at him as we got into the car.

"It was the first thing that came to mind." He tried to play off his embarrassment.

"If you say so, kid."

"Well, I…you were embarrassed, too!"

"Humiliated-but I didn't make it worse." He said, sounding slightly self-satisfied.

"Was it that bad?"

"Kind of. Wouldn't have been quite as bad if your girl hadn't been there." I stated, contemplatively.

"She's not my girl."

"Ah, don't look so glum."

"Why not, Damon?"

"Because that means she can't break up with you for saying shit like that."

"You're funny." He gave me a sarcastic smile.

"So I hear." My grin broadened.

"The voices in your head or…"

"Nah. I recall Ric saying those same words in that same tone before…well, before."

I decided to text Ric when I got home, tell him when I got back we'd have to throw back some bourbon at his house while his parents were in Vegas or New York or wherever it was that week. Seriously, so what if we were seventeen?

Stefan wanted to push it, I could tell, but Ric had been my best friend for years, before my mother had almost been killed and we left. Before Springfield, then Spearfish. All of it was too much to talk about just then. His statement would've been too loaded, too soon. Instead, he leant back in his seat and pulled out a book. I groaned, "Not the vampire books again?"

"No. Don't be ridiculous. I finished that series. I also finished the Night World series. In fact, this isn't even LJ Smith. It's Gone With the Wind."

"With Rhett Butler? The wicked cad…" Stefan rolled his eyes. "I can't tolerate his character. He destroys Scarlett." A heavy sigh came from beside me and I stopped talking. It was Rhett's actions, not his personality. He wasn't the only arrogant yet charming person I could think of off the top of my head. I came to mind as well. But I would never destroy someone perfectly content with pretending to fit in. While I despised conformity, I would never force someone to abandon it. After all, if no one was conformist how could anyone be original?

**EPOV**

"Elena!" Jeremy yelled at me. "We're going to be _late!_"

The only words he would say to me all day were true. If we didn't leave now, we would be.

Just as I'd known we would, we drove to school in silence.

"Oh, look." Jeremy said nastily. "That dumbass you've got wrapped around your finger."

"Just go find Vicki or something. Have sex in a bathroom and leave me the fuck alone." My response to the way he treated me, I knew, pushed Jeremy away even further, but I couldn't help it.

"Damon!" I called over, affixing a smile to my face.

"Hey." He looked me over in concern, gaze landing on my eyes. Knowing, I felt at that moment, that everything was not okay. He seemed to be an expert at reading people.

"Are you," he started but hearing his brother approach he finished the statement with, "ready for the bio test today?"

I had to play along. "It's not today. It's next Tuesday."

"Oh…right." He scratched his head. "So, Stef, didn't you have something to ask in respect to a certain person of Elena friends?"

I _knew _it! "Bekah's single."

"How did you know I was going to ask that?"

"Some people say I'm psychic."

"Others," Damon put in, "say you're observant."

"Well," Stefan countered, "_I_ think you're psychic."

"To complete the trifecta let me just say: I think I'm awesome." We all laughed and dispersed as the warning bell rang.

"Psst. Elena." Matt hadn't spoken to me since the break-up, so I couldn't understand why now, in the middle of Lit he would have something to say. "I'm sorry for ignoring you. I was hurt and it was painful to see you."

"There were probably better ways for me to do it. It was my fault. _I'm_ sorry."

"I was wondering if we could be friends again?"

"Of course, Matt!"

"So, how've you been?"

"Jer still isn't talking to me."

"That was over six months ago."

"He holds grudges." That was true; the last time we talked, really talked it had been about the fact that I would be telling Mom and Dad about his…extra-curricular activities which mostly included illegal and dangerous drugs. If he'd been smoking marijuana I'd be like 'Don't let that smell get into my room.' It wasn't marijuana, though. It was Meth. And it was heroin. And it was acid.

He got back from rehab and we haven't talked since.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Matt paused, "but he's clean, right? And that's the most important thing."

"You're right. It is." It felt so good to talk to Matt again. He really was an amazing guy. My method of breaking had been the worst. The way that Jeremy hated me, wouldn't speak to me, talked to Mom and Dad only to bitch about me broke my heart. Even worse, he started talking to Katherine all the time in front of me, and suddenly I didn't want my life. I didn't want a perfect boyfriend like Matt. I didn't deserve a perfect life. So, one day I told Matt that he was too good for me and I couldn't accept it. That I was going to date Mason because that's what I wanted, that's what I deserved. The fact that Care and Bonnie and Bekah had accepted me back into the fold at all was a miracle, and a testament to the kind of amazing people they are. Kat made sure I didn't get into too much trouble and she helped me when I came to my senses, too. Kat rolls with the punches and supports the people she loves, and that's what I love about her. My relationship with Matt had been expected, but it didn't matter, because he was amazing and I loved him-I _did_. But he deserved so much better than who I was at that point in my life.

"Hey," Matt began, "I knew you're not Tyler's hugest fan but if you wanted to sit with us at lunch that'd be great."

"How about you sit with us? We haven't talked to you for forever and the girls all miss you, plus you can meet the new guys."

"Okay. I'll see you there. I have to make sure the dark-haired one is good enough for you anyway."

"Wait, what?" I said flabbergasted.

"I'm in your bio class, Elena." He gave me a smirk and let for his next class.

**So, Matt and Elena, I always felt, had a flirtationship. A friendship with a lot of flirting, that is, so they'll be doing a lot of that. But I promise they DON'T get together. It will still be Delena.**


End file.
